Sundance 2010 Roundup

Page 1 of 5

This year’s Sundance film festival was nothing short of epic, with screenings of more than 100 feature-length movies (117, to be precise). Over the next year or so, you’ll read more about films like Catfish, Winter’s Bone, The Kids Are All Right and Cyrus as they are released, garner Oscar buzz and the like. Here are some thoughts and observations on our favorite picks of Sundance 2010 from our crack festival team, focusing on the movies that flew under the radar of festival press.

All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
Funeral Singers was one of the highlights of this year’s festival. A little gem of a film, it features thirty-something psychic Zel, who inherited the business—and the ghosts that supply her abilities—from her grandmother. She helps clients talk to long-lost loved ones and gamble on the day’s races. But when the ghosts discover a beckoning light and their inability to move toward it, they haunt Zel, day and night. The whimsical movie is full of fascinating characters and is directed with a light, deft touch by Tim Rutili of Califone (who supply the music and play some of the ghosts). [Read our interview with Rutili here] Tim Regan-Porter

Bilal’s Stand
I admit, I’m a sucker for uplifting coming-of-age stories. If my wife is out of town and I’m sure no one is looking, I’ll even watch those white-teacher-helps-black-children genre pics (you know, Dangerous Minds and its ilk) and even choke up a little. Bilal’s Stand is a nice twist (or subversion) of this trope. Based on director Sultan Sharrief’s life, the film chronicles Bilal’s struggle to make his own path amidst competing demands of family, friends and community. A black Muslim teen, Bilal excels in school while helping run his family’s Detroit taxi stand at night. Ultimately, he is forced to choose between the immediate needs of his family (and their business) and getting a college degree. Unlike typical genre picks, the high-schooler, Bilal, is the protagonist—not an outsider who shows him the way. The film focuses on his strength of character and determination. He gets both help and hindrance from his community—teens and adults of various races and backgrounds—but the focus is on the decisions he must face. Sharrief’s script is taut, and he adds some wonderful flourishes, such as animations illustrating Bilal’s narration. Some of the acting is stilted, but Julian Grant is wonderful in the title role. It’s a welcome addition to the genre. TR-P